When to prune Lilly Pilly plants for a hedge?

[Glenn83]

Gday all quick question I have Lilly pillies growing out the front of my place ( Perth western Australia). 
they are going great been in about 6 weeks or so, I was wondering do you prune the tops of them to encourage them to grow outwards ?? 
if so when do you do this? 
if that isn’t the case I’m open to any advice to get the best out of these plant.

I’ve attached a pic of what 90% of. Them look like right now 

 

cheers 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Glenn83,

When it comes to pruning Lilly pillies to encourage outward growth, it's essential to balance between allowing them to mature and shaping them for the desired look. Since your plants are still fairly young, it's best to let them grow vertically for a bit longer before focusing on their outward growth. If you prune the tops now, you will halt their upward growth, which might not be ideal if you want them to reach a certain height first.

If you're aiming for a compact hedge with more horizontal spread, you can start trimming the tops once they've reached your desired height, which will encourage lateral growth. As the plants mature, you can prune them regularly to maintain the shape and size. Pruning should generally be done during the growing season (spring to early summer) to avoid stressing the plants. Always ensure the cuts are clean, and avoid cutting too much at once to prevent harming the plants.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell